PART ONE, CHAPTER SIX: "CRUSH"

-THE GOLDEN BOY & THE INNER CITY-

After we'd exited the first year building, snowy trees greeted us.

"What is it about your eyebrows, I wonder?"

Kei's words lingered on my mind for a moment. She'd complimented my eyebrows in the past, so this struck me as odd. Such wasn't my main problem, however. Shizuka had eyebrows just like mine, so I couldn't easily accept the girl's words.

"How dare you?" I frowned.

The redhead blew a stray hair out of her eyes. She waited another moment, after which she adjusted her bangs by hand. All the while, she whispered to herself. Before I could lean in to listen, she cleared her throat and started speaking. All while fixing her hair, of course.

"Apologies, I meant no harm. It's just, rather..." She paused. Silence fell, and her hair adjustments became frantic. Frustrated whispers and modest cursing reached my ears. Finally, she continued. "Rather, your eyebrows are... beady, I suppose? Is that the right word?"

"Hmph," I straightened my winter coat, "I won't get mad over someone of your ilk."

"Is that so? Then I retract my apology."

"V-Very well."

This was the least of my problems though. No, it couldn't be called a problem! Being a paragon of patience, Satou Shibuya was above petty insults. I refused to get riled up over Kei's words, but not for any particular reason! For now, I had a question to ask the girl walking alongside me.

"Kei—"

"Kusanagi," She corrected.

"Kusanagi," I corrected, "I appreciate that you told me where to go. I honestly and truly do. Perhaps enough to pretend you didn't blatantly insult my genealogy. I'll be sure to send Minakami a glowing review, but that's not important right now. Why are you following me?"

"Are you a fool?"

"No, I'd like to think the contrary..."

It wasn't as though I'd scored one-hundred percent, or anything of a similar nature... or wait, it seems I did! I wonder, where does an individual get off calling the top-scoring student a fool? Even if the score felt wrong, such a remark seemed in and of itself rather foolish.

That's to say, I'm calling Kei an idiot! A big, stupid, idiot!

Kei sighed. "I'm here to make sure you don't join. The Student Council, that is."

"I see."

This ordeal made less sense now. If she didn't want me to join, why tell me where the room was? Counter-intuitiveness at its finest, if that's a word. It likely was, but I decided to look it up in the dictionary later. Such was another matter entirely, though. As if reading my thoughts, Kei spoke.

"I'd like it if you left a bad impression."

My confused peaked. Why even bother making sure I left a bad impression? Still, it's fortunate that Kei came with me instead of doing something erratic. With her here, I'd have forewarning for whatever strange plan she'd set in motion.

Back when we were younger, Kei had a wild streak. She wasn't always the seemingly straight-laced person of our high school days. Some people wanted to watch the world burn, and Kei wasn't far removed from such an individual. There's a bit of history to this.

Let's see, let's see.

-S0014-

Until age eleven, I didn't know I had a sister.

Shizuka stayed in Germany with Mother, while that man sought refuge with House Kusanagi on Niflheim. Keep in mind that, as previously stated, I hadn't known sister dearest existed. It wasn't until middle school that I met her, but that's another story entirely.

House Kusanagi treated me as one of their own for the duration of my stay. During my time there, I lived in the Kusanagi clan house under the name Katou Kusanagi. They justified my distinctly not-red hair by saying I was born to a branch family. The Sasaki, I think they were.

Off-topic, but said branch family practiced Flash Cancel variant Kusanagi style.

For the longest while, that man worked with House Kusanagi to see if I'd become a permanent clan member. As Satou Shibuya doesn't go by that other name anymore, such obviously didn't happen. That, however, is unrelated to the point I'm trying to convey.

To pass those days I learned the Kusanagi's sword techniques. This was interesting to the younger, more simple-minded me. Such was due to a belief that any problem could be crushed, provided enough brute force was presented. It was the same as running head-first into a brick wall, but I digress.

During the third practice session was when I met her.

"That sword, you're swinging it wrong."

Leaving me with those words, Kei and I dueled. That "defeat" haunts me every night. The match wasn't close, it was very decisive. As it was practice, I didn't count it as a real loss. Furthermore, if we were to clash today, I could probably face Kei on even footing. Regardless, I'm getting off topic again.

That was how I, an impressionable youth, met Keiko Kusanagi II.

-S0015-

Kei later rejected my robust confession of juvenile affection.

"Love like that, I wonder how it spawns? Have my tastes twisted as a result? The Kotobuki sister and Kei are close in style and fashion sense. What's more, Akane and Kei do have similar hair colors... no, where does Akane come into this?"

"Pardon my asking, but what are you whispering about?"

"Ah," I stealthily hid my face, "No, it's nothing. What a dark history this is."

Now then, where was I? Ah, right.

Kei always played with some other girl, a irritating little rat. The girl clung to Kei like a moth to flame. Annoying as she was, I'll admit I'd been jealous. In retrospect, such is why I treated the other girl poorly. I wasn't a mean-spirited person, children were simply cruel. With that in mind, I couldn't be faulted.

What was that girl's name again...?

"—We're here."

Kei's voice brought me back to reality, the two of us coming to a halt. Having tuned out most of the walk, I couldn't tell where we were. This was still on school grounds, but the establishment before us wasn't any of the student buildings.

A pretty stone path lead to a small wooden building. The path in question had been shoveled quite well, with little snow on it. The building itself was a quaint little thing, akin to an old western house rather than a school-related facility. On its door hung an ornate nameplate, sporting the sort of flowery design one might find at an arts and crafts store.

"Student Council Office," I read.

Who thought it a good idea to put the office out here? Was there some map of the school grounds that everyone but I possessed? I scoured my mental notebook for every possible complaint. Eventually though, I straightened the collar of my uniform. There were more important matters attend to, more sinister problems to deal with.

"Pay me no mind," Kei reached for the doorknob.

As I thought, this fool is my biggest obstacle.

With the turn of a doorknob, Kei stepped forth and kicked the door open. It slammed against the building's inner wall with a heavy thud. Two parts mortified and one part startled, I froze for a moment. Kei walked in first and, after collecting myself, I followed after her.

"Y-Yo, underclassman."

From those present, I quickly placed the source of this confused voice. There were two males and three females, one of which I recognized as Kaede Kotobuki. She, likely the one who'd spoken, sat in a large leather chair. With one stocking-covered leg crossed over the other, she accurately represented my image of an authority figure.

"H-Hello, Ms. Kotobuki. For reasons beyond me, I'm late."

In showing an inkling of respect, I could perhaps counteract whatever Kei had schemed. The redhead retained some respect given the small bow she made, so I prayed she wouldn't slander Satou Shibuya's good name too much.

"Er, don't worry." The Kotobuki sister waved dismissively.

"Then it's fine?"

"Yeah. I see you brought a... friend?"

Calling Kei a "friend" felt mildly disconcerting. I didn't dislike Kei, but I couldn't allow myself to be associated with her in that sense. The time for such a relationship had come and gone. I cleared my throat and closed the door behind me.

"I'm sorry, she followed—"

"May I ask what you want from Shibuya?" Kei scowled.

Kotobuki snickered. "A clingy friend too."

My gaze shifted to Kei. She didn't seem to care about the misunderstanding. I almost denied Kotobuki's statement, but refrained. After all, I knew that the more I denied, the more Kotobuki would push. From my perspective, she seemed like such a person.

"Ms. Kotobuki—"

"Kaede is fine," She interrupted.

"Kaede," I corrected, "Why have you called me here?"

Kaede stared at me, her gaze turning warm. For some reason, I found this shift in expression grossly disconcerting. All others in the room also had their eyes on me, but that much was to be expected. The exalted Satou Shibuya deserved at least this much attention.

"You're one of two candidates we've selected to be the First Year Representative. How about it, is mister first year interested in competing for the position? Could be fun."

Kei cleared her throat. "I'm sure Shibuya laments his inability to compete. After all, he has a prior engagement. You understand, don't you? It'd be rude to—"

I frowned. "Don't put words in my mouth, Kei— erm, Kusanagi. Kaede, you said there was a another candidate?"

"Yeah, she'll be here soon. Had something to take care of, apparently."

I'm curious, I'm curious. Who could it be?

A powerful chill raced down my spine, as if I'd overlooked something. It felt like, due to a rookie mistake, I'd raised some sort of flag. A bad flag, mind you, not a good one. Who did I know that could give me chills like this? I began to count my fingers, sweat condensing on my brow.

Kei tilted her head. "Are you ill in the mind?"

"Treasure your life, fool."

Not intimidated, Kei held back laughter. Now I began to think, whose presence could disgruntle me so? Genjou, foolish as he was, didn't have the gall to face me head on. Iori Ikuzawa, the suspicious rat, wasn't worthy of my presence. Then, as I began to relax, one final name came to mind.

Could it be—

Knocking sounded from the door behind me. I'd taken too long to guess; It was too late to make a clean escape. The situation had escalated to a point I'd been hoping it wouldn't. I glanced towards Kaede, but she spoke before I found an excuse to leave.

"Would you get the door?"

As if she'd caught onto my unease, Kei turned a mischievous eye towards the door. The following glance came in my direction, and I quickly averted my gaze. The redhead cleared her throat, then moved towards the door.

"Allow me," she said.

Then, with the click of a doorknob, my premonition came true. Golden hair and eyes greeted Kei at the doorstep. The girl, sporting a beige windbreaker, looked to've been texting someone. She quickly slipped the phone into a pocket and stepped into the building. This was today's next foe.

Kaede grinned. "Welcome to the jungle, Yamashina."

"The pleasure is mine, Kotobuki."

Unacceptable! An insect like this dares encroach on my world of stopped time!? Am I a vector for all of the world's excess good and bad luck? Could it be said that I'm a storm drain for all variants of fortune? No wait, I can certainly phrase it better!

"An electric-type, some evolution of Schrodinger's Cat? It evolves into Schrodinger's Tiger at level thirty-six?! Nobody told me! I wasn't made privy to this information! Fetch me the file! Do so as if serving Zeus atop Mount Olympus!"

It took a few moments for Yamashina to see me, likely due to the redhead standing between us. Her eyes came to life with competetive flare after noticing me. Unclear, however, was whether she'd picked up on my fairly hushed rambling. Yamashina cleared her throat.

"So? May I ask why I was called here?"

Kaede nodded. "Oh, see—"

-S0016-

"So you've called myself here, along with him," Yamashina tossed me a sidelong glance, "Because we are the most suitable candidates to be the First Year Representative. On that note, only one of us can fill the position."

"Sounds right," Kaede nodded.

Kaede, Yamashina, and myself all sat at a wooden table. Kei stood off to the side, observing us with unparalleled stoicism. The other four Student Council members sat a corner, chattering amongst themselves with glossy binders situated on their laps.

Honestly, what an irritating situation.

I'd heard enough. The best course of action was a strategic withdrawal, which greatly differed from fleeing. Afterwards, I could find another way to earn my stripes. The position was tempting, but not so much that I'd throw myself beneath a metaphorical road roller.

The golden girl nodded. "Very well, I accept."

"Unfortunately, I have to refuse. I've decided the position isn't for me."

Kei silently affirmed her victory.

"Wait," uttered Yamashina.

My eyes met Yamashina's fast enough internalize her well apparent irritation. It was only natural she'd make such a face. My actions could only be taken as cowardice, that much was common sense. I knew how things would play out, no flowchart required. After all, she made it obvious.

"You still refuse to face me, even after insulting the efforts of others? Odd, especially since you speak so highly of yourself. Are you perhaps worried about losing your position at the top? No, are you looking down on me? On all of us, Shibuya?"

I frowned. "Is that wrong?"

"Yes, I suppose that would be your answer. You never struck me as prideful, only arrogant. I'd had my doubts, thinking perhaps there'd been a miscommunication between us. In the end, it seems I gave you too much credit. I know now that I must overcome you. Face me, Shibuya!"

"You've given me little incentive to agree."

First of all, I didn't know how she intended to challenge me. Second, it was only the beginning of the year. I'd have many other chances to clean up my image. Besides, why had the girl seemed so pressed for time in her crusade against me? At the time, the answer to such an obvious question hadn't dawned on me.

Kaede shrugged her shoulders. She tossed me a cool glance, then spoke: "If first year isn't interested, there isn't anything I can do. In that case, the position goes to Yamashina. I'm a bit disappointed, but whatever."

This one has some measure of common sense.

In denying my willingness to be First Year Representative, this excursion became pointless. Now I had to salvage my wasted time in another way. To that end, I wanted to practice cooking. If I did, Shizuka would praise me the next time I improved. That was the best possible outcome.

My focus shifted to Kei. "Satisfied?"

The redhead didn't nod, but she was clearly fine with her success. It showed through in the slight smirk she fought to contain, a bad habit that my childhood friend hadn't parted with. I didn't dislike such a trait, but it was mildly annoying when put into effect against you.

"Now then, I'll be leaving."

After getting up, I grabbed my bag. It was more a stopgap measure than anything else, filling the role of my old bag. With a small sigh, I turned towards the exit. As I stepped through the doorway, however, Yamashina's voice reached my ears.

"So this is your limit."

I froze. Every fiber of my being tensed.

Yamashina crossed her arms. "Is it a matter of power? If such was the case, I could very well understand your reluctance to face me. Even so, it's unforgivable that you'd choose to follow such a cowardly agenda. Where is your passion?"

"Gh." My jaw tightened.

It was too sudden. A wild beast, one I'd endeavored to conceal, came to life with white-hot rage. Its golden sparks twinkled visibly amidst the dust. Fortunately, with my mental strength, I managed to chain it down. Even so, I couldn't keep it up. At most, a few seconds was my limit.

How abrupt. This was definitely too abrupt. I'd been fine only moments ago, that much was true. Yamashina's words had been mere conjecture, yet my ability howled with the wrath of a god scorned. Such simple insults had gotten my mental fortitude on the ropes?

You dare disobey me?!

I lashed out at the strongest power, refusing to give in. Its howl seemed strong. Confident. Coercive, even. Like the whine of a child in the toy section, its low roar quickly became a high screech. Its wrath reached a fever point, and queasiness overcame my being.

No matter how I reasoned, no matter how I explained, it wouldn't listen.

My breathing became laborious. I squeezed my left forearm as hard as I could, praying none thought too deeply about my situation. The pain helped to keep my eyes on the important things in life. If I gave even an inch, I wasn't sure how things would escalate.

"You speak of power?"

Even so, crushing an insect was only natural.